Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to media content distribution systems and in particular, but not exclusively, to systems for rendering rated digital media content on client devices.
Description of Related Art
With today's widespread use of the Internet as a communication medium, end users are able to download media content, such as live or video-on-demand media programs, from content providers onto their viewing device. For example, an end user can access a content provider website, select a particular media program for viewing via the website and download or stream the media program, such as a movie or television show, onto the end user's viewing device.
Most of the media content that is downloaded or streamed to end user devices is rated for viewing by a particular audience. For example, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) uses a film rating system to rate the suitability of movies for certain audiences based on content. The MPAA rating given to a particular film is intended to help parents decide what films are appropriate for their children.
The rating applies to the entire media program, even though there may only be a few scenes considered inappropriate for younger audiences. Since end users typically do not know when inappropriate content may appear in a media program, some end users may opt to not view a particular media program for download when one or more members of a younger audience may potentially be present to view the media program. In addition, the end user viewing experience may be suboptimal if the end user has to pause or turn off portions of the media program when a child enters the room where the media program is being viewed.
To allow the widest audience, content providers often provide multiple copies of the same media program, each with slightly different content and their own overall rating. For example, a content provider may provide an “unrated” version of a media program, along with a PG-13 version of the same media program. Maintaining multiple copies of the same media program increases the storage requirements for content providers, which can result in an increased cost to customers. Moreover, the end user may select the wrong version, leading to customer dissatisfaction.